At the last council the Church gave a diagnosis for the world and suggested the therapy for treating human suff ering and pain. Th is book off ers you an explanation of this diagnosis and precise steps that should be taken in the spiritual therapy.

Tomislav Ivančić

Ivančić was born in Davor, Croatia. After the study of philosophy and theology in Zagreb and Rome he was ordained priest of the Zagreb Archdiocese in 1966. After achieving a doctorate at the Papal Gregorian University in Rome, he returned to Zagreb to become professor at the Catholic-Theological Faculty of the University of Zagreb. He is head of the Chair of Fundamental Theology, was one of the editors of the magazine “Bogoslovska smotra” (Theogian’s Review), is member of the editorial boards and associate of many Croatian and foreign theology magazines and member of the Croatian Literary Translators’ Association. Since 1983 he is canon of Zagreb’s Cathedral Chapter.

The areas of his scientific work are philosophy, theology and literature. The area of his special interest is the research of men’s existential-spiritual dimension, in which he discovers new possibilities and ways of modern evangelisation and the need of developing spiritual medicine, which - next to somatic and psychiatric medicine - is indispensable in the holistic healing of man, and especially in healing spiritual illnesses and addictions. For this purpose he developed the method ofhagiotherapy and founded the Centre for Spiritual Help in 1990 in Zagreb, which he is the head of.

Apart from working at the Faculty, since 1971 Tomislav was also a religious teacher for students in Zagreb, the initiator of the prayer movement in the Church in Croatia, founder of the religious community “Prayer and Word” (Zajednica “Molitva i Riječ”) and the “Centre for a Better World”, as well as lecturer at numerous seminars for the spiritual renewal in Croatia and abroad. In the last decade he has been training persons to work in centres for spiritual help and hold seminars for the apostolate of evangelisation in Croatia and abroad.

His scientific and expert articles are published in Croatian and foreign magazines. He wrote more than 50 books, of which almost the half was translated into foreign languages, whereas some have been published only in foreign languages. His book “Follow Me” (Pođi za mnom) was translated in 12 languages. He was editor-in-chief of the magazine “Steps” (Koraci), and then “New Steps” (Novi koraci), as well as founder of the magazine “Hagiotherapy” (Hagioterapija).

From 1998 until 2001 he was dean of the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Zagreb. In September 2001 he was elected rector of the University of Zagreb, but he resigned in December 2001.[1]

It is evident that Sacred Scripture and tradition differentiate psychical from spiritual illness. Both affirm the saving and healing power of the Church's pastoral work. Hagiotherapy has arisen as a specific ancillary to that pastoral work.

In hagiotherapy help is offered to believers by the power of Christian faith, and to non-Christians using the laws of man's sprit. It frees a person from a crisis of conscience, it counsels in times of spiritual confusion and heals spiritual sufferings. It has proved effective in dealing with doubts, distrust, addiction, suicide, post-traumatic stress syndrome, meaninglessness, fear, unbearable feelings of guilt, interpersonal friction, resignation, depression and aggression, as well as in disorders caused by occult practices and trauma.